January Hymn
by trashweasel
Summary: Judy meets her old hero, and Nick takes the next steps in building his new life. But what do you do after the big adventure is over? Life in the city isn't exactly like Judy expected. It's easy enough to stay warm during the summer. Winter is another story. Sequel to June Hymn.
1. Chapter 1

Judy barely registered that her alarm was still blaring. Without lifting her head, she swatted at her phone, but only succeeded in batting it off the nightstand. It clattered to the floor without missing a single cheerful note of her pop song ringtone and skittered under the bed. She groaned into her pillow. Whatever charm the song once held had been robbed by weeks of early morning shifts and too-short naps. Come to think of it, she wasn't sure which of the two this was. The sun was just rising-or just setting?- just behind the row of buildings that marred her bedroom's almost decent view. She dropped to the side of her bed, fished her phone out, and checked the time.

Setting.

Right, the nap was supposed to help her stay up for tonight.

Her uniform was still in a pile on the floor. She tossed it in the general direction of her laundry basket in a gesture of goodwill. She usually wasn't this groggy upon waking. Then again, the last few weeks were hardly usual. The department was always stretched thin during the holidays, and her first season on the force hadn't been an exception. Working Christmas Eve hadn't exactly been the highpoint of her career, but it was nothing compared to New Year's Eve. The block party was always responsible for ruining the evening of a sizeable chunk of the already weary department. She'd survived it all so far, but the early mornings and late nights were taking their toll.

With one last longing glance at her bed, she stumbled off to the bathroom sink. She took a deep breath, turned on the icy tap, and plunged her face under the stream. The frigid water immediately drove the fog to the back of her mind. She toweled off, pausing for a moment to battle with an unruly patch of fur that she must have slept on funny.

"There we go."

A sticky note still hung on her bathroom mirror. Call mom back, underlined twice. She tossed her damp towel over the shower curtain rod with a small flourish. She'd get to that tomorrow. The cold water always managed to snap her into gear, and right now she didn't have any time to waste. Nick would be here in less than an hour, and she had to get herself and her place presentable. She checked her phone.

Scratch that. Significantly less than an hour.

She started her routine in double-time. Had she really hit snooze that many times? She never snoozed. Well, maybe a bit recently, but only because work had gotten so crazy, and that wouldn't last forever. It'd settle down, and she'd get her apartment picked up and get a good night's sleep, and everything would go back to normal.

Nick would be here any minute.

She grabbed a pair of mugs off the coffee table and added them to the ever-growing pile of dishes in the sink. A small stack of folded clothes was still sitting on the couch next to a basket of clean laundry that she had meant to organize this week. She tossed the folded clothes in with the others and stowed the basket in her room.

No time to eat anything, really. There would be food there, right? Like, hors d'oeuvres? She ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a snack, just in case.

A sudden knock almost made her choke on the dry fruit and nut bar. She checked the time on her phone. He was actually a few minutes late, and here she was still wearing a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. Late, but he was actually ready to go. She'd never hear the end of it. She took a second to survey her living room and sighed. There was no salvaging it, not right now.

Judy unlatched her door and opened it just enough peer through.

"Hey! I'll be right out. Just, uh…" She glanced backed over her shoulder. "Just finishing up a few things in here."

Her partner cocked his head, eyeing her through the crack. "So, can I come in?"

"I'll be right out!" She shut the door a little harder than she intended and tore off for her room.

Nick's muffled voice chased her down the hall. "Carrots! It's cold out here."

"Just a second!"

Judy regarded her closet for a moment, took a breath, and opened it to face her nemesis. The simple black dress hung in the center of the rack, the other hangers shoved to either side to keep it out of contact with the rest of her wardrobe. She had picked it up the other week in a particularly harrowing trip to the mall and banished it to her closet as soon as she got home. But now the time had come.

It wasn't like she disliked dresses or anything. Dresses are nice. She just never really wore them, is all. At least, not fancy ones. Going from life on a farm to city cop hadn't done much to change that. They weren't the most practical things in the world, anyway. She gingerly pulled the hanger off the rod and held the dress up at arm's length, as if it might burst into flames at the slightest provocation.

She was being silly. This would be fun, right?

Finally changed, she stopped and gave herself a last once-over in the mirror.

"Well, this is as good as it's gonna get," she said under her breath.

Judy hurried back to where she had left her partner. She shouldn't have made Nick wait outside in the cold all this time. She'd make it up to him. Compliment his tie or something. She eased the door open, already diving into her apology.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I-"

Nick wasn't there. She stuck her head out into the hallway, but there was no sign of the fox.

"You're letting in the cold."

Judy jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned and found her partner reclining on her couch in her living room.

"And you really ought to pick up the place sometime. You're getting as bad as me."

She crossed her arms. "This is an abuse of key privileges."

"It was an emergency."

"An emergency."

"Yes." Nick did his best attempt at wide-eyed innocence. "You see, it's very cold."

She had to give him that. The door was only half-open behind her, but she was already starting to shiver. And really, she had grown accustomed to Nick's liberal interpretation of their spare key policy.

Nick stood and brushed off his black suit jacket. "You would've done the same thing. No jury would convict me."

"Fine, sentence commuted." She watched the fox adjust, then readjust his tie. She'd never seen him in a suit before.

He gave one last tug at the half-windsor knot and looked up at her. "You look nice, by the way."

Judy blinked. "Oh! Thanks! You too." She smoothed the front of her dress. "I can't remember the last time I had to get this dressed up."

"Same." He looked down at his outfit. "I was just gonna rent something, but it turns out my dad cleaned up pretty nice."

For a second, neither of them spoke. Nick cleared his throat and broke the silence.

"So, should we get going? The train's will be packed heading to this part of town tonight. Big concert or something."

"Oh, right. Yeah, give me a second." She ducked back into her room and reappeared wearing an enormous ZPD winter uniform coat over her dress.

Nick was waiting by the entrance, doing his best impression of a concierge. A smile crept across his face as soon as he saw her.

"Look, it's the warmest thing I own and it's a ten minute walk without the snow."

"Hey, I didn't say anything." He held the front door open and gave her an 'after you' gesture. "Shall we?"

They stepped out into the frozen evening, making their way through ankle-deep snow. The property manager still hadn't gotten someone to shovel the path from her building to the sidewalk, short as it was. She'd meant to call him about it today.

Her apartment complex was reasonably close to the train station, but the wind turned it into a hike. Still, mammals of every shape and size were out and about, and the air hummed with a sense of shared excitement. As Nick had predicted, the train was packed. They managed to find standing room squeezed between an ibex and a group of particularly chatty otters. Judy sighed in relief as soon as the doors slid shut, shutting her eyes for a moment and basking in the warmth of the train car.

"Cozy?"

"I can almost feel my ears again."

"I don't know how you survive in this weather with those things." He poked one of her black-tipped ears gingerly. "It's like ice."

"Stop that," she laughed, shooing his hand away with a swat.

She noticed the ibex glance down at them, then out the window.

Nick glanced at the rowdy otters from the corner of his eye. "I think we're a bit overdressed here. It feels like we're going to prom or something."

"They said to wear something nice." He was right, though. They stuck out. She was used to it by now, but she still noticed it. They always got looks when together out of uniform. Different looks than tonight, but looks. "Anyway, I never went to prom."

"Me either. You'll have to promise me a dance."

"I don't think there's going to be dancing at this thing."

"You know, you could just say no. You don't have to make excuses."

She rolled her eyes. "Your poor broken heart."

"Anyway, who is this guy again? Someone from Arson, right?"

"The captain from Arson. Fournier."

Nick looked at her blankly.

"Come on, you know him. He caught the Tundra Town Strangler back when he was a detective. It was all over the news when I was a kid."

Nick nodded slowly. "Right, the Strangler. That detective."

"The moose. He's the moose."

He snapped his fingers. "There we go. Moose cop, got it."

She tried to shoot him a withering look. "Anyway, he's a big deal."

"No, I get it. But you have to admit, it's kind of weird that they're going to all this trouble. Don't they usually just get you a cake or something?"

"They actually did get him a cake at the office. He didn't show up for it. Anyway, this is a city-organized thing to 'Honor his years of dedicated service to Zootopia'."

Nick nodded. "There we go. Patting ourselves on the back, huh? Hard for a new mayor to pass up good press."

"I mean with everything that's happened last year, yeah. Bogo actually pitched the idea, though."

"Well, how about that. The Chief never struck me as the sentimental type."

She shrugged. "His old partner's retiring. If anything's going to make him sentimental, it's that."

"Hm." Nicked seemed to mull something over for a moment. "Say, Carrots."

Her ears perked up, still tingling as warmth returned to them.

"When I'm old and grey and you're promoted to Chief Carrots, will you send me out with a special retirement party?" He settled back into his usual smirk.

"I'd send you packing the second they pinned on my stars."

Nick clutched his chest, wounded. "You know what, I believe you would."

The train rumbled on. The lights danced like candlelight off the faces of the larger mammals. From where Judy stood, it was the only evidence that the city was out there at all. She couldn't see it, crowded as the train was, but she knew the nighttime view well. It was one of the few perks of those late, coffee-fueled work nights. Now, the scrolling destination sign above the door was the only indication that their destination was near. She fiddled with the zipper of her coat.

Nick tucked his phone in his pocket and glanced at her over his shoulder. "I think this is us."

"Hm? Yeah, I think so." She stared up at the glowing marquee and felt Nick scrutinize her for a second.

"Hey." He nudged her shoulder. "This is gonna be fun, Fluff."

The train slowed to a halt, and the scrum of mammals in the car started pressing toward the exit.

"Yeah." She nodded, stumbling a bit as one of the otters beside them bumped her. "It'll be fun."

The doors parted with an dull electronic chime, and as the crowd filed out, the cold swept in.


	2. Chapter 2

As luck would have it, the hotel was only a few minutes from the train station. The city had sprung for a surprisingly trendy restaurant for the party: The Glade. It occupied the entire top floor of the luxurious hotel and, according to Judy's pre-party recon, didn't exactly cater to mammals on a beat cop's budget. A smartly dressed deer in the lobby pointed Nick and Judy to a bank of elevators, and before long, they were on their way up.

The elevator doors opened with a bright brassy chime, and the pair stepped out into the fray. Dozens of mammals already milled about, drinks in hand as they chatted among the tables. A languid blues standard wafted across the room, but it came from the speakers that flanked the podium a few yards away, not from the baby grand piano in the corner. She felt Nick nudge her shoulder.

"Here, give me that." He waggled a coat hanger at her. "Unless you're trying to make a statement tonight."

"Thanks." She slid the heavy coat off her shoulders and passed it to him. As he turned to stow it, she took a couple steps further into the room.

Aside from the ZPD officers that congregated off to the side, she didn't recognize most of the mammals present. Government bigwigs and press, most likely. A handful of mammals a bit greyer in the fur sat at the table closest to the door. They leaned in close to speak to each other, oblivious to the party outside of their own group. Finally, she spotted Bogo pacing a corner in the back of the room, phone to his ear. His voice didn't carry across the crowded dining area, but something had the ill-tempered buffalo more keyed up than usual.

One of the dark-suited officers crowded around the ZPD tables had noticed Judy standing there. She gave the leopard a small wave, and he raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to his conversation. She glanced away and transitioned into a vague attempt to brush a bit of lint off her dress.

Wasn't he a lieutenant? Wait, did she just wave at a lieutenant?

Her eyes bounced back to Bogo, who was still on the phone. Suddenly, she felt a small tug backward.

"Planning on returning this?" snickered Nick from just behind her.

Craning her neck, she could just barely see the department store tag dangling from the back of her dress.

"Oh, thanks." She reached back for it, but couldn't seem to get ahold of the thing.

Finally, Nick plucked it off and presented it to her. "Voila".

She accepted it as if it were a rose. "My hero."

"You know me." Nick took a second to survey the scene that had so thoroughly captured her attention. "No moose cop?"

"Not yet, I guess. And it's Fournier."

"The Chief doesn't look thrilled."

"That sounds about right. You don't think Fournier would skip out on something like this, do you?"

"I don't know the guy, but I know Bogo. If he values his life, he'll show."

Bogo shoved his phone in his pocket and briskly strode out of the room, brushing right past the pair without acknowledging them.

"Yikes," said Nick under his breath. "Well, we might as well get some free food before this turns into a crime scene. C'mon."

Judy didn't immediately follow Nick to the buffet. She stared at the double doors they had just passed through, still swinging back and forth from the shove Bogo had given them. The Chief hadn't seemed angry when he blew past them, at least from where Judy stood. No narrowed eyes, none of his usual huffing-if anything, she would've sworn he looked nervous.

"Carrots?" Nick was already halfway to the table.

"Oh, sorry." After one last look back, she turned and joined him.

Now loaded down with strategically balanced appetizer plates, they scanned the tables once again. More mammals had arrived, and every table seemed at least half-full.

"So, where to?" asked Nick.

"I think everyone we know here outranks us."

"Time to make new friends?" Nick raised his eyebrows at her and nodded toward a mostly empty table.

Judy gave him a weak smile. "Guess so."

They claimed their places at the emptier end of the round table, a couple chairs on either side serving as a buffer zone between them and the badger and wolf that sat opposite. A laminated press ID dangled from the badger's neck, and he glanced at them before returning his attention back to the aged wolf. Judy thought she noticed a hint of desperation in the badger's face. If the wolf had noticed them take their seats, he didn't show it. He seemed quite content to talk the badger's ear off, focusing all of his attention on enunciating each syllable of his soliloquy as carefully as possible.

"Mind if we join you?"

Nick addressed his question to the badger, but the wolf replied. "Hm? Yes, yes, sit. Anyway-"

"Yes, please do!" said the badger, scooting his chair back as he turned toward the pair.

The wolf trailed off as he regarded them through narrowed eyes, looking cross for having lost his place. The badger seized upon it.

"So, do you two work for City Hall?"

"Actually, we're ZPD," said Nick.

"Oh." The badger's eyes widened after a moment. "Oh, I see." He turned to Judy. "You wouldn't happen to be the, uh-"

"Yeah, she is. Pretty crazy, right?"

"You know, I really wanted to cover that story back when it was breaking, but my editor said it was already done to death. You know how the news moves." By this point, he had turned fully toward Nick.

"Yes, it is rather old news now, isn't it?" The sulking wolf shot Judy a look as he spoke. "I was just explaining to my friend here about-"

The badger was quick to grab back the reins. "I covered one of Fournier's cases a few years ago. Insurance fraud in the Rainforest District. Turns out it's actually pretty hard to commit arson in a climate with regularly scheduled rainfall and one hundred percent humidity."

"Can you believe I had to work that case?" A massive paw set down a tiny appetizer plate, and a polar bear that Judy recognized as a sergeant claimed the seat on the other side of Nick. "Had me running around all day in thousand degree heat. Said it was a mix-up in assignments or something. Hah! I'm still wondering what I did to tick the Captain off that bad." He chuckled and popped a piece of sushi in his mouth.

Nick scooted his chair over to accommodate the bear. "You know, I used to live out there."

"No kidding?"

"Yeah. I was seventeen and living in a two bedroom apartment with four other mammals. No AC either."

The polar bear winced. "No AC? Living like that oughta be illegal, Wilde."

Nick leaned in toward Judy. "It was, actually," he muttered.

Another officer, a tall, thin cheetah that Judy couldn't place, took a seat at the table. A quick glance around the room told her that more and more partygoers were settling in as well. This thing had to be getting started soon, right?

As if on cue, Bogo strode back through the entrance and approached the podium. Judy turned to watch, tugging Nick's sleeve to pull him out the story he was telling the table. The conversation in the room died down to a murmur with the dimming lights, and each table's attention shifted toward the Chief. He glanced over at the entrance, then out at the crowd.

"Thank you all for-"

The speakers crackled and hissed as Bogo adjusted the microphone upward.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight. Normally, at this point I would be taking a moment to introduce the guest of honor and say a few things about him. However, as you may be aware…"

Bogo's eyes darted toward the entrance once more. Following them, Judy could make out a tall, antlered figure standing half in the doorway, peering in as if to confirm that this was indeed the correct room. Bogo cleared his throat, his raised hand likely covering up the barest hint of a smile. It was a tell of his that Judy had picked up on, a way of keeping a straight face when officers cracked wise in the bullpen.

Bogo returned his full attention to the audience. "As you may be aware, any introduction I could give would fail to do Captain Fournier any justice. Suffice to say, his years of dedicated service have not gone unnoticed by the city or his fellow officers." He let the audience applaud for a moment, then leaned closer to the mic and looked directly where Fournier lurked. "Get up here, Maurice."

The moose seemed to take a second to survey the crowd, then stepped out of the shadows and strode up to the podium. Bogo greeted him with a hearty handshake, clasping Fournier's upper arm with his free hand. He leaned in close and muttered something to the moose, his words lost to the audience in the second round of applause. Judy was aware that the city councilmammal who had taken the mic was reading some official-sounding commendation, but her attention was on the towering pair next to her. Bogo was practically standing at attention. Fournier, on the other hand, stood hunched next to his old partner, hands shoved into the pockets of the trenchcoat he hadn't bothered to remove when he arrived. He scanned the crowd with narrowed eyes, straining to make out faces in the dark.

"...and so, on behalf of the city of Zootopia, I am proud to present this lifetime service commendation to Captain Maurice Fournier."

The end of the city official's speech seemed to catch him off-guard, and he accepted the proffered plaque with his eyes still on the crowd. The moose shuffled over to the microphone and was suddenly alone.

"Thank you. Excuse me..."

He coughed once into his hand, then fished an index card out of his coat pocket.

"After so many years on the force, it is strange to consider my time here actually coming to an end." His voice was a gruff baritone, and he spoke haltingly, as if he was reading the text on the card for the first time. "It has truly been an honor working with you all."

"That's uh…" He stared at his index card for a few seconds, then looked up. "That's all I got."

In an instant, Bogo was next to him again, one hand on the moose's shoulder. "Thank you, Maurice. Now, I believe we have some musical entertainment coming up soon, so everyone please enjoy the rest of the evening."

Bogo ushered his old partner away, and the lights soon returned to their normal level. A trio of raccoons in tuxedos hurried over to the piano wheeling large black trunks, and within moments they had set up a standing bass (with stepladder) and drum set alongside it. As they began to play, the room returned to life, again abuzz with the chatter of cocktail party conversation.

Nick turned to the badger reporter. "Hey, did you managed to get all that?"

He chuckled and held up his notepad. "Yeah, I think this'll finally get me that Pawlitzer Prize. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to try to get an interview. Or at least a drink." He scooted his chair back from the table and headed into the crowd, weaving his way toward the gaggle of officials that had formed around Fournier's table.

As soon as he left, the old wolf turned to face the rest of them. "Now, as I was saying earlier, the budget proposed this week is simply outrageous in its current form. The reasons are threefold..."

Judy willed herself not to yawn.

"Oh, can you believe that!" Nick shook her shoulder suddenly. "Say, Carrots. There's someone I want you to meet. C'mon." He gave the wolf an apologetic smile. "Excuse us."

Judy looked up at Nick as he stood, then back at the wolf. "Oh, right. Right!" She thought she could feel the wolf's glare on the back of her head as she hurried off to catch up with Nick.

"So, who's this friend?"

"His name's Joe. I think you'll like him."

The pair gave the crowd surrounding Fournier a wide berth. Judy could just make out the moose's antlers bobbing above the scrum of microphone-wielding reporters and glad-handing politicians. She nudged Nick as they passed by.

"Hey, we should say something. You know, at least tell the Captain congrats. I bet Bogo could introduce us."

Nick barely slowed his pace to glance back at the wall of mammals. "Looks like he has his hooves full right now."

She caught a glimpse of Bogo talking into some reporter's mic, and she strained to catch his eye in the gaps of the crowd.

"C'mon, Fluff. We'll catch him later."

Nick was now ahead of her by a good bit. She hadn't realized she had slowed down so much. Bogo still hadn't spotted her.

"Yeah, okay."

With one last look back, she set off after him.

* * *

Fournier is a character from "Reichstagsbrand" by HarryLime03! You can find it at /works/10523451


	3. Chapter 3

Judy found Nick waiting for her at the buffet line. By the time she reached him, he had already started to pour a steaming hot cup of coffee from one of the silver carafes at the end of the dessert table. She scanned the crowd in the meantime. No one really jumped out at her as a potential Nick Wilde associate.

"Right, so this friend of yours?"

"Here, I'll let you get acquainted." He extended the mug to her, a cheekier than usual smile on his face.

She accepted the coffee without thinking. After a second, she glanced down at it, then back up at him.

"Joe."

"Get it?"

"That's a terrible joke. You know that, right?"

"Hey, it can't be any worse than the economics lecture we were about to get from our buddy back there." Nick nodded in the direction of their table.

"True." She took a careful sip. "Thanks."

"No problem. You looked like you were about to pass out on me. We don't want a repeat of New Year's, do we?"

"Hah. Not gonna let me live that one down, are you?"

Judy had worked another twelve hour day on New Year's Eve. It had been the perfect plan: Nick had somehow managed to get the day off, and Judy went off-duty at eight o'clock. He took care of the snacks, invited the guests, and prepped his place for the party. He'd gone all out for it, really. All she had to do was show up after work. Technically, that all went off without a hitch. She just couldn't manage to stay up past nine, is all.

She took another pull of coffee. "What can I say? You have a comfy couch."

"Don't you drag my poor, innocent couch into this." Nick helped himself to a mug. Decaf for him, though. "And since when do you drink it black?"

"Just got used to it that way. You know, with how work has been lately."

"Mm."

While Nick prepped his coffee, Judy glanced over at the full length windows that lined the back of the dining room. The outdoor rooftop dining area was mostly still blanketed in snow, but the view of the city was incredible even from where she stood.

"Okay, Carrots, how about this?" He checked the time on his phone. "It's already pretty late. This is your New Year's do-over. You make it to midnight tonight and you're off the party blacklist."

She bit her lip. "You're on, Wilde. Wait, blacklist?"

Nick stirred his coffee with a mock serious, aristocratic air. "Nicholas Wilde's parties are a privilege, not a right. Make it to midnight and I'll upgrade you to probation."

"Ah, I see."

"Not everyone's invited to these things, you know."

Judy nodded sagely. "Of course, of course."

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg. You can get banned from all kinds of things if you don't play your cards right."

"What else? Movie night? Coffee runs?"

"Pizza night, too, I'm afraid."

"Well, that's only fair." Judy couldn't keep a perfectly straight face anymore.

Nick tapped the last few drops of coffee off the spoon. "There we go."

Judy could tell that he was pleased with himself. Her coffee was steaming hot and pitch black, and every drop of the bitter liquid was that much more fuel in her tank. The raccoon jazz trio in the corner had struck up a lively tune, and the sounds of socialization had decidedly reached a crescendo.

"Hey, I actually do know someone here." He nodded toward the musicians. "The bassist, Nate. And Carrots, check that out."

Judy followed his gaze to where the band played. An greying pair of jackals had claimed a spot in front of the band and were managing a surprisingly athletic lindy hop in the corner they had carved out for themselves.

"Turns out it is that kind of party after all."

Judy watched the pair, her warm mug held close to her chest as they navigated their makeshift dance floor with a grace that belied their years. "They're so cute."

"I know it's not exactly prom, but you did promise me a dance on the train ride here, so…" He extended an expectant hand.

"Oh, is that how you remember that conversation?"

"I think that was the subtext, at least."

She set down her coffee, took his hand, and laughed as he swept her up into a few goofy steps. She could almost see him counting the rhythm in his head, and to his credit, they eventually managed to find the beat.

Nick grinned as he attempted to spin her. "Would you believe I've never done this before?"

"Yes."

A pointed throat-clearing shook them out of the moment, and the pair was suddenly aware of a slender antelope carrying a large tray full of carefully arranged glasses. "Excuse me."

"Oh, sorry!" said Judy, stepping back to let him pass.

They had also drawn a few glances from the partygoers around them, it seemed. Nick looked like he was barely able to keep a straight face despite the sudden attention, an expression Judy recognized from the time he got them shushed at the movie theater. The song ended, and the raccoon at the piano leaned toward the mic to let the crowd know that the band was taking five.

Nick made a beeline for them, waving her to follow him. "Hey, come on. I can introduce you now."

"Okay, let me grab my coffee real quick."

She found her cup and topped it off, taking in the dining room as she carefully sipped the coffee down to a carryable level. The ZPD officers, VIPs, and bureaucrats were finally intermingled, helped in no small part by the trays of drinks held aloft and carried about by the waitstaff. The pompous old wolf from before had finally found an audience in a handful of similarly aged mammals, and at another table, Bogo appeared to be attempting to tell a joke to the mayor and her entourage.

Nobody but Judy seemed to notice the lanky figure of Captain Fournier steal out of one of the back doors to the rooftop patio.

A glance around the room confirmed this. Nick was already palling around with the raccoons, exponentially increasing the likelihood that their break would exceed five minutes. Judy set down her coffee and hurried off toward the coat rack. She'd only be a minute.

The winter chill had deepened since they had arrived, and the snow that covered the patio made it clear that the outdoor dining area was off-limits for a reason. Still, Judy eased the door open and took a cautious step outside. She was immediately glad that she had decided to retrieve her coffee. While the wind wasn't bad at street level, at this height it was enough to give the cold a real bite. Fournier leaned on the wrought iron railing that lined the rooftop, his eyes on the skyline. Judy opened her mouth to speak, but her first icy breath caught in her throat. Her presence was instead announced by a short coughing fit.

The towering moose barely turned toward the sound. Upon seeing her tiny silhouette, he waved a hand dismissively and shook his head.

"Not right now, please. You can have your interview in a minute."

Judy blinked in surprise. "Oh, sorry. I'm, uh. I'm not…" She pointed at the ZPD logo on her coat, then realized that she was backlit by the ballroom. "I'm an officer."

"Ah. You're Hopps, then."

"Yes, sir. If I'm bothering you, I can-"

"No, no, it's fine. Just so long as you're not looking for an interview."

Judy shut the door behind her and took a few steps closer. Fournier fidgeted with something in his hands and tucked it into his coat pocket.

"I just wanted to say congratulations, sir."

He raised an eyebrow at her, then traced her eyes to the plaque tucked under his arm. He seemed almost surprised to see it.

"Oh, right. Thanks." He hefted it in one hand, studying it as if it were a stone tablet written in some ancient language.

Judy watched him for a moment, then pressed on. "You know, I used to follow your cases when I was in school."

"No kidding?" He looked at the plaque for a second more, then tucked it back under his arm and leaned his back against the railing, his full attention turned toward Judy. "High school?"

"And middle, actually."

"That long, eh?" He scratched his forehead. "I guess it's been a good minute since then, hasn't it?"

"One or two, yeah."

He gave her an approving nod. At least, it was probably approving.

"Well, from what I hear, you've managed to keep busy. You know, most cops go their whole careers and never get one. A big case, I mean." He reached back into his coat, pulled out a small silver hip flask, and unscrewed the lid. "Smart to get yours out of the way so early."

"Well, I didn't exactly plan on it. It just kind of fell into my lap."

"Hah." Fournier took a swig. "That's not what I heard from M-, uh, Bogo." He looked down at her and pointed, still holding the flask, words were shrouded in heavy clouds of condensation. "No, you beat down his door for it, right?"

Judy felt her face grow hot despite the frigid winter night. "Not exactly. I mean, you could say that, but-"

Fournier waved her off, chuckling to himself, his laugh low, quiet, and hoarse. "Easy. It wasn't criticism. I was just saying, there are two kinds of cops: the cops who kick down the Chief's door looking for big cases, and the sane ones. Guess which one I am. Or was, rather." He took yet another swig. "Like I said, it's smart to get it out of your system now. One is plenty. You know what happens after one if you're not careful?"

He didn't wait for her to respond. "Two." Another hoarse laugh.

"But that's not what you did, sir." Judy nodded back at the warm light of the party behind them. "You're a hero. The city needs heroes."

Fournier's eyes narrowed as he seemed to consider what she said. After a moment, he turned from the light coming in from the dining room and returned his gaze to the skyline.

"You know what the one thing I asked for tonight was? A good view of the city." He leaned against a nearby table as he took in the view. "Nice that they delivered on that."

After a moment of hesitation, Judy joined him at the railing. Short as she was, she still had an excellent view between the bars. "You know, I used to sneak out at night and go to this hill by my house as a kid, just to get a glimpse of this."

"I grew up here. Still, I never get tired of this view. It'll be nice to live here again."

He cut off her question before she could even speak. "That's another thing you'll figure out before too long. You can live in the city, or you can live for it. You start as a rookie telling yourself you'll catch up on sleep on the weekend, then you pick up an extra patrol or two. Next thing you know, you're rolling out of bed after the sun's gone down and realize you're late to your own retirement party."

"I've already got the first part down, I think," half-chuckled Judy, glancing down at her rapidly cooling mug of coffee.

"Well, then look at us, a couple of workaholics." Fournier raised his flask to her in a tongue-in-cheek toast. "To captains past, and captains yet-to-be."

Judy raised her mug a bit, smiling sheepishly.

"But all kidding aside, you'll get there, kid. I've seen rookies come and go, and you've got the right stuff for it. Most mammals..." He shook a heavy hoof and squinted down at her. "Most mammals need too much. Don't know how to suck it up, how to sacrifice."

Judy's attention briefly shifted to the vibration of her phone in her deep coat pocket.

"You know, you remind me of myself when I was younger. You're starting to see how things actually get accomplished around here."

He looked at her for a long second, and it seemed he almost looked sorry for what he had just said. Finally, he drew himself up to his full height and brushed a dusting of snow off his long khaki coat.

"I oughta get back in there. I'm sure someone is upset I haven't shaken their hand yet." With a few heavy steps, he was back at the door to the dining room. He paused and looked back at Judy, who hadn't moved from where she stood. "You shouldn't stay out here long by yourself. It's too cold." With that, he shut the door behind him.

Judy watched him meld back into the crowd. Sure enough, two reporters approached him before Bogo clapped him on the back and led him away. And with that, Judy was alone.

She set her now-cold coffee down on a nearby table and wrapped her hands around two of the bars. The cold, black metal divided the city into dozens of narrow, rectangular segments, and she had to lean in close between them to get an unobstructed view. Fournier was right about one thing. The view from here was hard to beat. Late as it was, the city seemed as busy and loud as ever. A fine, dry snow had begun to fall, and the few remaining barren surfaces were already showing signs of it. She brushed the thin dusting of snow off the table, hopped up onto it, and took a seat.

"There you are."

She almost jumped at the sound of Nick's voice. He stood in the threshold, one hand still on the knob. "For a second, I thought you'd ditched me."

"Oh, sorry."

Nick shut the door behind him and joined her, glancing at the city. "So, did you just come out here to check out the view?"

"Fournier was here. I felt like I should say something."

"Ah, I see. He did seem like quite the conversationalist, didn't he?" After an uneasy second, Nick cleared his throat. "He sounds like an interesting guy, though. Big hero, right?"

"Yeah."

The pair lapsed into silence for a moment at the building's edge. "You know, now I wish I had grabbed my coat, too. I didn't think I'd be out here this long." He glanced back at the dining room, but Judy didn't follow his gaze. With a quiet sigh, he wiped down the other half of the table and sat next to her on the table.

"Hey, guess what?"

"Hm?"

He dug his phone out of his pocket and showed her the screen. 11:59 PM. "You made it. Thirty seconds until the ball drops. Now, think of your resolution, but don't tell me or else it won't come true."

The barest hint of a smile snuck up on Judy. "Isn't that for birthday wishes?"

"It's the same idea. Now, think." He bumped her with his shoulder, scooting ever so slightly closer to her on the table.

Judy pulled her coat collar higher against the wind. Nevertheless, a few snowflakes managed to slip in and melt against her collarbone. She felt Nick's arm come to rest against her own, his shivering barely perceptible through her thick coat.

"Three, two, and one. Happy New Year, Carrots. Again."

Judy registered that Nick had turned to face her in her peripheral vision, but her eyes were fixed on something else. She was probably imagining it, but from here, the cityscape seemed the exact mirror image of the view she had once known so well from home.

She heard her partner sigh. When she finally glanced over at Nick, he was in the process of carefully lowering himself down from the table.

"Alright, Fluff. We should head back inside before we have to be thawed out."

"Hey, Nick?"

He brushed a bit of snow from the seat of his pants before looking up at her. "Hm?"

"Do you have a resolution for this year?"

He regarded her for a moment before answering. "Yeah. I do."

"And?"

"And I can't tell you. You know the rules. C'mon, get down from there."

He offered her a raised hand and she took it, her feet crunching the thin layer of powder that had just begun to accumulate over the packed snow that coated the patio.

Nick held tight until she found her balance. "So, are we still on for tomorrow?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. And the plan is..."

This time, he rolled his eyes at her. "Zoo U. bookstore at two."

"Right. Are classes really starting already?"

"Next week, yeah."

"Well, that's exciting."

"Yeah, something like that." He stopped just in front of the door, hand on the handle, and cleared his throat. "I'm going over to my mom's after for dinner. You're welcome to come." He turned the handle, then turned back to her. "I mean, I'd like it if you came."

"Oh." Despite the wind, Judy was suddenly very warm. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

Nick swung the door wide, holding it open for Judy. Based on the density of the crowd, it seemed that partygoers were beginning to filter out.

"Hey, Nick?

"Hm?"

"Is it okay if we head back soon?" She gave a wan smile. "I'm ready to pass out over here."

"I guess coffee can only get you so far." Nick checked his phone, then looked back up at her. "Sure thing, Fluff."


	4. Chapter 4

Daylight already streamed through the cracks in the blinds, streaking the covers in rows of pale winter light. The room was silent, save for the gentle white noise of a heating vent whirring to life. Judy sat up with a start.

Her alarm. It hadn't gone off.

She was on her feet in an instant. Her phone. She must have forgotten to charge it. Bogo was going to-

Saturday. Right. She actually had the weekend off for once.

Judy flopped back onto the mattress with a heavy sigh. She laid perpendicular to her bed, her head lolled back by the window as she waited for her racing heart to slow to something more reasonable. The upside down city had received a fresh blanket of snow while she slept, but the powder didn't look that much deeper. She rolled over and took a proper look at the sidewalk below.

Yeah, it would be manageable.

She sat up and grabbed her phone. Almost noon. Not a ton of time before she needed to leave to meet Nick. She lowered herself to her feet and headed for the bathroom, plucking a towel out of the clean laundry pile on her chair. After the usual quick shower and quicker breakfast, Judy found herself in the unfamiliar position of having a few minutes to spare. Fifteen minutes, to be precise. Not enough to make a huge difference, but hey, it was something.

She surveyed her room and took a sip of coffee. Her fancy black dress was slung over the back of the desk chair, the same place she instinctively tossed her uniform after every shift. She hadn't bothered to hang it up, but it would have to be dry cleaned anyway, considering the snow and all. After a long second, she grabbed a hanger and shoved the dress into the closet.

The desk itself was unusable in its current state, cluttered as it was with the last few still-unpacked boxes from the move. How long had it been since she left the broom closet that was the Grand Pangolin Arms?

Judy mentally ticked back the months. It'd be a year before too long.

Wow.

Fifteen minutes. Right. The sink was currently overrun with dishes. She could at least start to drive back whatever forces of evil were generating that smell before rushing out.

Outside, Judy found herself shin deep in snow. Maintenance still hadn't shoveled the walk. She'd definitely have to call them when she got back. But not now. She had twelve minutes before her train was scheduled to arrive, and she had the timing down to a science. After almost a year of living in this building, she had become an expert at hitting the platform just as it arrived in the station. It was just more efficient that way. Besides, waiting for trains made her anxious these days. If she hurried, she'd catch it just in time.

And there it was.

She took her usual window seat and started to make a mental checklist of her day. Bookstore, Nick's mom's house, leave a message with maintenance, clean apartment, call parents. All pretty doable, assuming things didn't run too long with Nick's mom.

Zootopia University stretched throughout the city, with departments and annexes popping up in just about every district. The main part of the campus wove in and out of the beating heart of downtown Savannah Central. The student bookstore straddled the already blurry lines between campus and city, situated as it was on the corner of several restaurants and cafes popular with students and townies alike.

The bookstore was busier than Judy had anticipated, but lacked the glut of students typical of the beginning of the school year. Judy had patrolled the area in the fall when the semester was just starting, and the difference was stark. These weren't brand new, bright-eyed freshmen, after all. Even the younger students that milled about seemed to be following a routine, comfortable enough without their parents now that they had a semester under their belts.

"Hey, you made it."

Judy almost jumped at the sound of Nick's voice. The fox had wandered over from the cafe area with two cups of coffee in hand. He offered one. "Here, the usual. And happy New Year's Day."

"Driving that joke into the ground, are we?"

"Hey, it gets great gas mileage."

"Sure." She took a cautious first sip. "And thanks. Guess I needed it more than I thought."

"No problem. You get a good night's sleep?"

"Mhm."

"Seemed like it. You slept the whole way back on the train. I didn't think someone your size was even capable of snoring that loud."

"Nice try, but I don't snore."

"Half a train car of angry mammals would say otherwise." They started to stroll toward toward the staircase in the back of the store, following signs that read "Textbooks: M-Z"

"When you grow up sharing a room with eleven of your sisters, you learn pretty quickly who snores and who doesn't. So yeah, nice try."

Nick looked amused. "You got me. You sleep like a precious angel. Better?"

She bopped him on the arm. "Better."

The second floor was lined with row upon row of tightly packed shelves. Haggard bookstore staff flitted to and fro, doing their best to keep the bookcases organized even as students picked them apart. Nick fished a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"Let's see. Sociology 101, Intro to Criminal Justice, Bearuskian 101…"

"Bearuskian?"

"Yeah, I have to take a language."

"Huh. I don't think I had to." Judy shuffled out of the way of a marmot carrying a stack of binders. "I mean, I did, but I don't think it was required."

Nick glanced over the rest of his list. "Well, hopefully this will be relatively painless. C'mon."

Judy plucked a shopping basket from a nearby stack and handed it to the fox. "Yeah. Painless."

"And that's what it costs _used_?" Nick was aghast. The relative painlessness had survived all of five minutes. "That can't...that doesn't…" He held the battered book up toward Judy with both hands. "Carrots, look!"

Judy sighed mock-wistfully. "Ah, I remember my first time in a college bookstore..."

He thumbed through the sociology textbook, head shaking. "This doesn't make any sense. Is this legal? Can we arrest them for this?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "At least your tuition is taxpayer subsidized."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into more school. You know, I've managed to avoid learning anything for over a decade, and I'm about to ruin that streak thanks to you."

"Oh, please. All I did was point you at the ZPD's continuing education program. Everything beyond that was self-inflicted."

Nick jabbed at her with an accusatory finger. "You seduced me with your talk of making detective one day."

"And you can make detective one day, but not if you get cold feet now."

"I figured you could get us the promotion now that you're in good with Captain Antlers. You know, pull a few strings?"

" _Fournier_. And I don't know about 'in good'."

"But you did get your chance to talk his ear off last night, right? C'mon, Carrots. What have I told you about networking opportunities? You gotta turn on the charm."

"It wasn't, like…" Judy was suddenly acutely aware of how warm it was inside. "I mean, we talked, but…"

Nick cocked his head at her. "But?"

Judy plucked the shopping list out of his hand before he could react. "Come on, let's see what else you need." She kept her eyes fixed on the list. "Okay, it looks like most everything you need is up here on the second floor. Bearuskian will be in the B's, which should be on the first floor. If you wanna start getting things together up here, I can run down and grab it for you."

"Thanks, Carrots, but you don't have to-"

"I'll only be a sec!"

She was halfway down the stairs before he could get another word in edgewise. Skirting a few larger mammals, she slipped into the forest of bookshelves and started following the signs. Classics, Chemistry, Biology...there. Sure enough, the only other shopper at this end of the aisle was a slouching polar bear in a Zoo U. sweater thumbing through a very well-used copy of _Bearuskian Music and Culture_. He gave Judy a sidelong glance, then shuffled off, book in paw.

The bottom shelf had already been picked clean, and the next shelf up was almost at her eye level. Beyond that, Judy had clearly underestimated the size of ursine language textbooks. She glanced down the next aisle for a stepladder or something, but no such luck. Standing on tiptoes, she reached up and tugged at the spine of the enormous book. It barely budged. Did they really have to be hardcover? She pulled again, throwing her weight back this time. It tumbled off the shelf, taking two of its neighbors with it and sending Judy sprawling. She groaned as one more tome thudded to the ground.

She tugged an ear out from under the pile and prodded the tip. Okay, everything seemed to be intact. Ears were fine, no broken bones or any-

"Hey, are you good down there?"

Judy looked up to see a bewildered-looking brown bear peeking around a precariously balanced armful of books.

"Yeah." She scrambled to her feet and dusted herself off. "I'm fine."

The brown bear set her stack down and picked up one of the textbooks at Judy's feet.

" _Beginner's Bearuskian_ , huh?" She put the book back on the shelf and reached for another. "It's, uh, cool to see other mammals interested in that kind of stuff. Who do you have? Like, as a professor."

Judy pried the remaining copy off the floor and leaned it against the shelf. "Oh, I'm not taking-I'm not a student anymore. Well, I wasn't one anyway. I mean, I was, but not here." She took a breath. "I'm just here with a friend."

The bear glanced down the empty aisle. "I see. Well, if you need a hand with that, just let me know."

Judy hefted the book, taking care to bend at the knees. She wobbled a bit, but found her balance. "I got it. Thanks, though!" She half-jogged to the stairs without looking back.

After several arduous minutes, Judy made it back to where she left Nick and found him a few rows over.

"Hey," she panted. "Sorry that took so long. This was the only size they had." Her arms were visibly shaking as she tried to lower the book down with care.

"Yeah, I figured they'd be huge. That's why I got the e-book."

Judy's ears dropped. "What."

"Yeah, I tried to tell you. But hey, I found most of my other books while you were gone." He thrust the basket toward her and flashed a smile. "See? Almost done."

Judy nodded weakly. "Good. Great. I'll go put that one back now." She paused to stretch out her back, then tried to heft the book again.

With some effort, Nick managed to pry it from her hands and leaned it against the shelf. "You know what, I think someone else can deal with this." He padded off down the aisle, nodding at her to follow. "C'mon, I'm looking for _Beyond the Pack: Predators in the Modern City_. Sounds good, right? Can't wait to learn what those city preds are really like."

Judy followed a step behind him, rubbing her aching arms as she scanned the shelves. "I hear they're smarmy know-it-alls, mostly."

"Oh, is that what they teach at bunny college?"

"That, and how to come up with two hundred baby names without accidentally repeating one."

Nick let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "Please tell me that actually happens."

"More often than you'd think."

They reached the end of the aisle and Nick hung a left.

"So, Carrots. You did the whole school thing a while back, right?"

"I don't know about a _while_ back, but..." She furrowed her brow for a second. "I guess it has been a few years now, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, time can get you like that." Nick peered up at the top shelf. "You went to, uh, Podunk Tech?"

"Triburrow Polytechnical University. Same as my parents."

Nick raised his eyebrows at her. "You? Following in your parents' footsteps? Now, there's something you don't see every day."

"Hey, it's a good school."

"No, no, I know. I didn't mean anything by it."

"And it was close to the burrow, too. I was able to live at home and save up some money." She paused for a second. "It was nice, actually."

"It sounds nice. I mean, I've seen the burrow. It is nice." Nick busied himself with the ladder tucked away at the end of the aisle. "Don't think I've forgotten that you're secretly a homebody."

Judy's eyes passed over a stack of books, but the titles didn't register. She absent-mindedly pulled one out. "I wasn't exactly thrilled about it at first. I thought about going to school in the city, or at least getting a dorm. Just to get a little practice at being independent, you know? I didn't really get out of the burrow until the academy. Guess it worked out, though."

She turned the book over and skimmed the back, then looked up at Nick, her tone now jocular. "Hey Slick, you ever give dorm life any thought? Now's your chance to be the big fox on campus."

Nick's attention seemed to be on a textbook he had found on the top shelf, and for a second, Judy wondered if he had heard her.

"Big fox on campus, right. More likely I'll be lucky if I'm not mistaken for the professor."

Judy opened her mouth to say something.

"Got it." He waved held the book out toward her. "That should do it, I think."

Judy looked up at him from the base of the ladder. "Hey, Nick?"

"I think if we check out now and drop these off at my apartment, we can leave for my mom's place without being too early."

"Nick."

He gripped the top rung with his free hand and sighed. "Hold on a sec." With the book tucked under his arm, he made his way down, each of his steps careful and deliberate. He made no effort to avoid Judy's insistent eye contact when he settled back on the ground.

"Carrots, I know what that look means." He slid the book in between the others in the shopping basket.

"Nick, you don't have to be-"

He grasped her gently by the shoulders and set his eyes on hers, his expression warm. Warm, but also something else. Nervous?

"I also know what you want to say right now, and I appreciate it, I really do. And we can talk all about it, but I'm about to introduce you to my mom, so if we could just, you know. Time out?"

The dark-furred tips of Judy's ears were still tingling by the time she processed what he had said. "Yeah, okay." She laid a hand on one of his forearms and gave it a squeeze.

Nick squeezed her shoulder back and turned back to his basket, scooping it up with one arm. "C'mon, the lines down there looked brutal."

Judy watched him go, her hand resting on her own shoulder. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and followed. Sure enough, only one register was open, and the line wound all the way back to the t-shirt rack.

Great.

She joined Nick at the end of the queue and checked her phone. This whole errand had taken longer that she thought. Still, there was plenty of day left. Plenty of time to get stuff done.

Call maintenance, clean apartment, call parents. And meet Nick's mom.

"Everything okay, Fluff?" He took a step forward as the line shuffled on, but his attention stayed on Judy.

"Yeah." She took a breath and put her phone away. "Everything's fine."

Time out.


End file.
